Advantages

"Long lasting"

Fun

Disadvantages

Totally recommend this!

My father bought this for me for my birthday when I was young. I was madly in love with Michael Jackson. This game was really good. You wouldn't get bored and its fun to play with friends. You could play it in your free time, at a party, gathering or etc. It's not a one-time game. It is on going . You could improve yr score and challenge with your friends and try to win them.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Very fun

This game is a dancing game for the wii. I personally do not enjoy dancing, or michael jackson, yet I absolutely love this game. This is why:

Firstly the game is based on holding the wii remote in your right hand, and copying all the moves you see your selected character do. You can be michael jackson, or one of the "backup" dancers in the background, and you can play to a variety of different songs from Michael Jacksons past. Whats more you can play this with up to 4 players, and you get points on how well you copy the moves. I have to admit at this point it really depends where your arm is, but it is so much fun to just stand their flailing around madly in a vague attempt to copy what is going on screen.

The graphics are poor it has to be said, but they are functional, and to be totally honest you are normally transfixed on attempting to avoid hitting a cat or the vase or something with your nunchuck which is now spinning around your head like some sort of medieval weapon.

The music sounds awesome, and it genuinely feels like you are on a stage making a fool of yourself rather than just making a fool of yourself in your living room.

The only problems with this game are room. You need a lot of room to play this game, I lesson I learnt when one of my mates connected his wii remote with my chin at great speed, whilst I stood there twitching in an attempt to copy michael jackson being a zombie during thriller.

Overall this game is just so much fun, and will leave you laughing and out of breath. It is even better with friends, and the worse at dancing you are, the better this game is for sheer comedy value. Honestly I have got two left feet but on this game it kind of just lets you have a laugh, and the nice thing is its not based heavily on unlocking things, all the songs are available from the start. All you can unlock are "dance school" videos which honestly I have't even looked at, I have no plans to learn to dance.

I really recommend you get this game, I got mine for a meer £1 used, one of the best £1's I have ever spent.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Very much a fun experience for fans of Michael, but lacking in depth.

'Michael Jackson: The Experience' is a rhythm game released for the Wii in 2010. This is a spin-off from the successful 'Just Dance' series except, well, it just consists of Michael Jackson songs of course! My mom bought this game for our Wii at home because she wanted a game to do dance workouts too and all of us in our household are big MJ fans. I've started playing 'Michael Jackson: The Experience' since I came home for Easter holidays with the rest of my family and I can firmly say it's become an addiction- some flaws notwithstanding.

==---Gameplay---==

Gameplay for MJ: The Experience is pretty simple. You choose one of 26 tracks, all with varying difficulties to dance to. On the Wii version up to four players can play either as Michael or his backup dancers if they come in the song. You dance by following the avatar of either Michael or his backup dancers' movements on the screen with your Wiimote in your right hand, which corresponds to Michael's white glove, with different movements moving up along the left (or right if playing as backup) side of the screen; one has to time the move when it hits the top. How well you time and execute the move determines whether you get an 'OK', 'Good' or 'Perfect' star score for each. At the end of the song the number of stars is totalled up to give you both a number score and another star rating, this time out of 5.

That's really all there is to gameplay, and as a result it's very simple for people of any age to get into as all you're really doing is waving the Wiimote with no extra buttons to press. It's much more fun playing with others than solo and my sisters and I compete to beat each other's high scores. Providing your sensor bar is in a suitable place, it does a good job of tracking Wiimote movements and isn't forgiving on sloppy timing or movement. Sometimes I do think it has trouble tracking more than one player on screen, but then again this may depend on the size of your dancing area. Even though many of Michael's signature dance songs have been simplified so Joe Bloggs really does think he's doing 'Thriller' perfectly, the harder songs still do provide a real difficulty and a good workout! Trust me- at the time of writing this review I haven't achieved the full five stars on any song! Depressing...

==---Graphics---==

The graphics for the game aren't anything special. The menus and screens all have the same dark blue colour scheme which I think really fits the game's tone. The animation for avatar Michael and backup dancers is quite blurry and lack attention to detail, but at least they get all of Michael's signature outfits in and I like that the background videos pay homage to either the real videos of the songs or change throughout the song ('Black or White' is the best example of this because just like the real thing, the country background and backup dancers change every so often). Besides since the Wii isn't known for games which push graphical barriers on video game consoles I think I can let the average graphics slide overall.

==---Music---==

The 26 tracks in the Wii version of this game include:-Bad -Beat it -Billie Jean -Black or White -Dirty Diana -Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough -Earth Song -Ghosts -Heal the World -In the Closet -Leave Me Alone -Money -Remember the Time -Rock With You -Smooth Criminal -Speed Demon -Streetwalker -Sunset Driver -The Girl is Mine - The Way you Make Me Feel -They Don't Care About Us -Thriller -Wanna Be Startin' Something -Who Is It -Will You Be There -Workin' Day and Night

As you can see, there is a mix of MJ classics and some less notable ones. Annoyingly I have noticed that some other version of this game include more and/or different songs instead of having the same number available across all systems. Furthermore the Wii version doesn't come with the option to download new songs to play to like the Kinect and PSMove do.

==---Extra Content---==

The only other menu option other 'Dance' (that is the main gameplay mode) and 'Options' is 'Dance School. Basically, the overall number of star rankings are added together, so getting certain achievements on songs (i.e. getting your first 4* rating, getting 3* across a number of songs) unlocks training videos where professional choreographers demonstrate the real, complex dance moves of the MJ songs. Unfortunately this is the only extra content available in the game; there are no other modes that you'd find in other rhythm games (such as a Workout Mode) and whilst a lack of bonus options don't detract from the games fun, they do help stop me from getting bored of the game fast once I've mastered several of the songs by giving me something to work towards.

==---Overall---==

'Michael Jackson: The Experience' is fun for all the family and very easy to get into, but compared to other games in the same genre it's pretty basic- I believe that once I've had my fill of dancing to MJ songs I'll get pretty bored unless I want a quick exercise session at home. If you're an MJ fan the fun to be had dancing to all the classics might help you overlook the lack of content here, which is what I find myself. If you're a big rhythm game fan used to the likes of Dance Dance Revolution or even Just Dance you may not find a true 'Experience' here.

'Michael Jackson: The Experience' can be bought for around £9 on Amazon or even cheaper second-hand, which I think is an appropriate price for this game.

(Review also on Ciao under the username Anti_W)

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A great Party game to get you moving

If you have read my reviews on the 'Just Dance' Games for the Wii you may know that me and my mates have a monthly 'Wii Night' - takeaway, alcohol and Wii Games, but since the release of the 'Just Dance' Games they now consist of dancing around like a loon for the evening. As we do have these get-togethers once a month we are always on the look out for new games to add to our repertoire and when I saw the TV adverts for the 'Michael Jackson Experience' I ordered it straight away from play.com.

Price and Packaging

At the time of release the game was on sale on play.com for £19.99, but has now been dropped to £9.25. I think the £19.99 price was reasonable as it was new out and it is well worth the money. At £9.25 you really can't go wrong.

The Games is presented in a standard white Wii Game Plastic case with an image of MJ dancing on the front. The games says "Michael Jackson - The Experience" in white bold writing over the image and a dark blue background and has by-line of "His music, his moves, your experience". On the back you have a track list and screen images as well as the games details etc. The packaging is nice and the deep blue background makes it stand out. The wording draws you in and is intriguing.

Track List & Features

The MJ Experience has 25 tracks for you to dance along to and a range of features which keep the game fresh even after many uses. Among the 25 tracks are:-

Beat ItBlack or White Earth Song Smooth CriminalBillie JeanThrillerThe Girl Is Mine They Don't Care About UsWho Is It Workin' Day And NightBad

These tracks can be played with up to 4 players and as well as the standard mode you have the School Mode to learn the moves and a rehearsal mode to practise them before the 'performance'. There is 1 on 1 battles, or pair up for 2 verses 2 players. There is also the option to perform as MJ himself or as a backing dancer with even more moves!

Verdict

The game has plenty of player options to keep you entertained and I loved the variety of options. As this game is from the makers of the 'Just Dance' you know you'll get a great game. The games loads up quickly and easily and you can begin dancing almost immediately without having to set a load of settings. The menu's are so easy to follow even kids could navigate the game. The song selection is impressive as well and there's all Jackson's well known songs and plenty to work your way through. The routines themselves are more difficult that the 'Just Dance' routines. There are a lot more smaller moves you have to get just right and it gets your feet moving as well as your arms. Your whole body gets a work out! Some of the tracks are quite hard to master and some moves take a lot of practise. You simply follow the on screen image and copy its moves. Sometimes the image moves that quick you can't keep up, but I think that makes the game more challenging and tasking.

The lyrics also appear on scene for you to sing-a-long to if you so wish but this is purely for fun!The graphics are OK and the on screen image changes to suit the track as so the avatars you follow which is a nice touch. The graphics don't need to be HD as you're too busy huffing and puffing along to notice!

I am not generally a fan of Michael Jackson's work but I don't think you need to be to enjoy the game. The variety of tracks they have selected makes it a fun challenging game to play, but if you adverse to MJ's songs then this wouldn't be for you. We love the game and keep finding new challenges and options to try so it never gets boring. The only addition I would have liked would to have the ability to download extra tracks or even some Jackson 5 tunes. The game doesn't have an option to add any more tracks or routines which is disappointing and even better would be the ability to really sing along with it for more points. But I suppose with the Wii this would be awkward to do as you need to hold the remote in one hand to register the moves so you would struggle to hold a microphone

Overall a great party game that will give you a workout while you're having fun!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A great game for all the family & MJ fans!

Michael Jackson: The Experience.

"His Music. His Moves. Your Experience."

There have never been truer words. This game for the Wii Console really is an experience! An experience which is a must for any Michael Jackson fan! If listening to the music of Michael isn't treat enough now you can pretend you actually are him in this game.

I must admit that this game is probably only suitable for fans, although I can't see somebody who isn't a fan buying it. The game is full of Michael's greatest hits and is busting with his moves. I love the fact that all the dance moves are genuine and they are the exact moves that Michael danced.

The game is suitable for those aged 12 and above. I think that this is an appropriate age as it is quite difficult to follow at times!

You can have up to 4 people playing the game at any given time. In order for this you must of course have 4 Wii remotes. I think that it is great that the game allows this many people as it can be played at parties or within families. Considering you have the room however, there is a lot of arm flinging and turning around involved so you need quite a bit of room. It is vital that you use the wrist straps as well which are connected to the controls to avoid 'flinging accidents'. Whilst playing this game my brother actually managed to smash the lamp shade on the ceiling when attempting a move!

You play the game with the Wii remote in your right hand, Michael Jackson is your mirror image! You must copy the dancing as close as possible to each of the songs. You can choose which song you dance to and the lyrics come up along the bottom of the screen so you can sing along too!

There are 'Dance School' sessions which teach you the moves with training videos. A choreographer takes you through these videos and explains the dance routines step by step so you can follow it closely, practise and then attempt the song. The catch is that in order to see these videos you have to get a certain number of points on the actual game. Every so often if you do well enough then you 'unlock' another video. I do recommend using these videos, however tempting it is to launch yourself straight into the game. They are very useful and they help you to improve and therefore get more points and beat the high scores! There are also videos which teach you how to do the iconic poses and dances by Michael.

You can choose from a variety of Michael Jackson songs to dance to, from all the greats! Each song has a level so you can choose the song according to the level you want to dance at. There is the choice of Easy, Medium or Hard. On some of the songs you have the choice of being either Michael Jackson or one of his backing dancers. This is good as you can get used to the routine being one of his backing dancers and then you can step it up a gear and try Michael's routine.

The selection of songs include:

ThrillerBadBeat ItSmooth CriminalBlack or WhiteEarth SongAnother Part of MeThe Girl Is MineThey Don't Really Care About UsRemember The TimeWanna Be Startin' SomethinBillie JeanThe Way You Make Me FeelLeave Me Alone

And there is more!!

The aim of the game is to dance in sync with the dancer on screen. Your score is calculated by the amount of effort you put in and how precisely you do the moves. The Wii control picks up on these flows and movements in order to mark you on how well you are doing. There are pictograms which move up the left hand side of the screen which show you which move is coming up next so that you can learn the dance routines easier.

Whilst you are dancing, a word will pop up on the screen to give you an indication of how well you do each move. If you miss the move completely then a X will appear, if you do the move but only just then it will say OK, if you do the move well but it could be better then it will say GOOD and if you do the move in sync with lots of energy then it will say PERFECT.

You need to try and get as many PERFECTs as possible in order to get the best scores. A line which appears on the left hand side of the screen will get bigger as you get more points, it will have your player number next to it also so if there is more than one person playing you can clearly see which points belong to you.

If you are really good at this game then you can earn extra points with Gold Moves. These moves are clearly demonstrated by the gold special effects which appear when the move is being done, they can really make your score rocket!

At the end of each song you are rated on your overall performance by being given a star from 1 to 5. It is really difficult to get to 5 stars (I am averaging about 3 stars). It would take a lot of practise to get really good scores! You can enter your name when you reach a high score and it will save it for others to see. Every time you reach a new star for a song you unlock a 'Dance School' video.

I think that the hardest song to dance to is either Bad or Smooth Criminal as the dance moves are quite difficult to follow! The easiest song is The Girl Is Mine, the dance moves are quite comical and the rhythm of the song is slower so it is easy to follow.

The game is great as a workout! If you put all the effort in to each dance move and every song then you can really work up a sweat and it definitely gets you out of breath. I would certainly recommend getting this game if you are a fan of Michael Jackson or if you enjoy playing these sorts of dance games! It does require a level of skill and dedication in order to go over the routines and get them right.

I think that I will keep playing this game for some time yet, however it will be on my days off as I can't imagine playing it after being at work, it requires far too much energy for that!

The game can be bought for about £30 from HMV and play.com.

There is a community which you can join and discuss your own enjoyment of the game @ www.MichealJackson-TheExperience.com

Thank you for Reading!

Review also on Ciao under luceey.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Great game for a house party

All Michael Jacksons best songs are included and you get to learn the moves by following the on screen 'Michael'. You can rehearse in the 'School' mode before competing (great for anyone wanting to practise before competing against their freinds). If you are having a party this is one of the best new dance wii games you can get. Up to four players can compete on the same game making it a great for groups. Some of the songs have quite complex dance moves so you could find them frustrating to pick up - but stick to the easier ones to build up your skills before moving on to these. You can sing along to the songs whilst dancing to add another dimension to the game - the lyrics come up on screen so everyone can join in. I would recommend this to families, teenagers or anyone having a house party. We had a great night playing on it - watch out for the video on you tube! It makes a great gift for Michael Jackson fans especially now the price has dropped from the original RRP.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

recommend this game :)

Michael Jackson: The Experience

I've always loved Michael Jackson's music and I've always loved games like Just Dance on the wii - so I really LOVED the idea of a game just like Just Dance except where all the songs were Michael Jackson's!I was so excited and happy when I received the game this year as a Christmas present. As soon as I unwrapped it I began to itch with excitement, I couldn't wait to start playing on it! It looked so great and I had such high expectations, I couldn't wait to find out if the game would live up to them and if I would enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Fast forward to later on that day and my little sister and I were both having the time of our lives, dancing away, copying Michael's moves and singing along to all his best records.

Idea of the Game

The concept of the game is a bit like an exercise DVD, as there is an animation on screen, and you have to follow the animation dancing onscreen as though it were your mirror reflection. Except this game is a lot more fun than an exercise DVD! It is very similar to another Wii game I have and love; Just Dance (and Just Dance 2). You can have up to four players, there are excellent multiplayer functions, and you all dance along with a Wii remote in hand. The scores add up depending on how well you follow the moves onscreen. Sometimes it can get quite competitive! Obviously this sort of game might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I absolutely love it! I think it is so much fun. As a style of game I would say it is generally more suited to girls and women; however I have known some boys and men to enjoy it just as much as I do. And under the influence of alcohol I have found out that everyone loves this game!

Playability

The game is really easy to understand and everything is explained clearly onscreen so that you aren't stuck or confused at what is happening. I'm no technical genius and I understood everything on it and learned how to work the game straight away. Even my grandparents can get used to how it works after just a few minutes of playing on it, which just proves really that the game is suitable for most people and shows that people all ages can enjoy it.It is recommended as being suitable for people aged 12 and over, however I don't think there is anything in it that anyone under this age wouldn't be allowed to see. Some of the dance movements include movement of the hips and in a way that suggest they are perhaps a little unsuitable for young children, but to be honest I think they are more embarrassing to do than anything else!

Choreography & Duets

For some of the songs on the game, there are two different sets of choreography available for you to follow rather than just one. So you could choose either Michael's choreography or his backing dancer's choreography. Some of the dances, such as Dirty Diana, are duets, so if two people were doing it one could be Michael and the other could be the girl dancing next to him. Or the great thing is, all the players could just be Michael, or everyone could just be the girl, so that everyone is doing the same dance. You get to choose yourself before the song starts which you want to do, it is set out very clearly so it is easy to understand.

Levels Of Difficulty

There are three levels of difficulty, easy, medium and hard. For the songs that give you a choice on which choreography you want to follow, one might be hard and one might be medium. You can't choose a level of difficulty for each song yourself; the level of difficulty has already been set to each song. So, as you are scrolling through the list of songs to choose which one you want to dance to, it will say at the top how difficult it is, for example, Earth Song, which only has one set of choreography to it, would say 'Easy', but 'Thriller', with a choice of choreography, would say 'Medium/Hard'.At first I found even the 'easy' songs really hard to follow but after playing on the game a few times now I am starting to get used to them all.

Songs

The game includes twenty six of Michael's best songs. There is a good selection, in my opinion, of slow ones, fast ones, old ones and new ones. I will talk about some notable ones now. . .

Bad

I love the music video for this song and have always been really fascinated at the way Michael and his backing dancers move in it. So non-surprisingly I was keen to have a go at attempting the dance moves myself.The outfit that Michael wears in this dance is just like what he wears in the video, and although the moves he does aren't exactly the same (that would be way too difficult for a non-professional dancer like me to keep up with!) they are very similar, and instantly recognisable to the song. They really go with the music and the beat, which is really helpful and makes it all the more fun.This one includes moves such as the way Michael sort of wipes his mouth, which is just like how he does it in the music video, and also the way he points out to the side. There are also a couple of other moves which can be quite embarrassing to copy when you're dancing against your family! I'll leave you to think about what that move could be yourself!

Beat it

This is another of my favourite Michael Jackson songs and one that I couldn't wait to try the moves to.Again the outfits and dance moves are very similar to what the video is like. I'm really glad that the makers of the game have kept everything similar to what it is like in Michael's music videos. I was worried they wouldn't, as in Just Dance, the costumes etc can be completely different to what you expect them to be like. In this dance, just like they do in the music video, you have to look like you're walking forward while pointing out to the side, then you have to punch upwards twice and then sort of push forwards then backwards. It is easy when you do the hand action without attempting the legs, but when you try and add the whole thing together, it becomes really difficult and I think I need some practice on this one!When I'm on this against my family, I'm there just trying to beat them, beat them, I don't want to be defeated! . . . sorry couldn't resist.

Earth Song

I like this song - I love the dance for it! I find it really funny because the dance moves are so dramatic. When my family did this on Christmas day we were all falling about laughing. It was so much fun. It just looks so funny how he kind of moves his head in and out, quite slowly to the beat, then suddenly when the screamy part starts he throws his arms out, spins round, falls to the floor, punches the ground, jumps up again, head bangs a bit, and turns to the side and throws his arms back behind him really fast. Some of the songs like this are just so much fun and are great to do on occasions like parties. They get everyone laughing and wanting to join in and just generally having a good time.

Thriller

Well, you couldn't have a Michael Jackson dance game and not include Thriller on it, could you?! This dance probably isn't exactly the same as the real set of choreography but it is so similar and you can tell exactly what it is when you see us, for example if say, one of your neighbours was walking past and they saw you dancing to it in your living room then they would think "oh, that's the thriller", (and they might also think "crazy"! We have to close the curtains sometimes as it could be quite embarrassing, if anyone walking outside saw us dancing, we must look so funny, but that only adds to the entertainment!)The other songs on the game are:Billie Jean Black or White Dirty Diana Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough Ghosts Heal the World In the Closet Leave Me Alone Money Remember the Time Rock With You Smooth Criminal Speed Demon Streetwalker Sunset Driver The Girl is Mine The Way you Make Me Feel They Don't Care About Us Wanna Be Startin' Something Who Is It Will You Be There Workin' Day and Night I think there is a really fantastic selection of songs on the game. There are none that I don't like. All the best songs that I would have liked to see on it are on it, so I'm really happy about that. I suppose if I was being really picky, I would say that they could have added a few more songs, perhaps 'Man in the mirror' and 'Come Together' would have been good on there as well. But to be fair I'm just being really picky, and that's only because Michael Jackson has got so many incredible songs. Overall I think the songs on the game are brilliant and I think there are plenty to give the game a good longevity. I can't see myself getting bored any time soon. The sound quality is also really amazing and makes full use of the speakers. We normally have it on a loud volume as that's when we enjoy listening and dancing along the most.

Graphics

The graphics on the game are really incredible. The animated Michael's and backing dancers move so quickly and expertly they look almost like real dancers. Real, really, really good dancers!The game makes good use of special effects, which makes the game feel like being at a Michael Jackson concert, as although I've never been to one myself, I've heard that he always liked to make a really fantastic show with lots of special effects. Well anyway there is lots of special effects in this game. For example at the end of Smooth Criminal, Michael causes the camera to smash. In 'Ghosts', he turns into a skeleton for part of the song. And at the end of a lot of the songs he disappears into thin air. The little things like these are what make the experience of the game so amazing.

More Features

I haven't mentioned Gold Moves yet. When you're dancing, some moves which are harder than others, will get you more points if you get them right. These are known as 'Gold Moves' and if you manage to do them correctly and on time your Wii remote will vibrate in approval.Also, if you want to learn how to dance just like Michael, there are is a section of the game called 'Dance School', this is where you can access different videos that give you lessons on how to do his moves. There are three choreographers who teach you this, they each have their own warm up and then you can scroll through all the many different videos available to find a video that is suitable to what you want to learn to do. For example, there is a video that teaches you how to do the gallop from the song 'Ghosts'. This is a video I found quite handy. I've learned how to do the gallop now, which I can hardly believe, as a few months ago I would have watched the dancers on the music video doing it with a baffled look on my face. I think these videos are great, a really good idea. When I get the chance to, I plan to practise some of them and then impress the rest of my family by showing them that I can dance just like Michael Jackson! I'm sure they will be very jealous! LOL.

These videos start out being locked. To unlock new videos you have to set a new high score on each of the songs. I haven't unlocked all of them yet but when you do unlock a new one, it feels quite exciting, and you can't wait to watch it and see what it is!

Price & Availability

The game is available to buy from most places, including Game, HMV, Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys etc. It is always priced around the £30 mark. It is also available to buy variously online, from sites including Amazon. Personally I think it is very reasonably priced for such a great game. I think it is definitely good value for money. I would have probably paid more for it if it was more expensive, actually. I really do think it is that good. Because if you think about it, with this game you're not only getting a game but you're also getting a music album as well, and tutorials on how to dance like Michael Jackson.

Overall

This has now become my favourite Wii game of all time so how could I not recommend it. The advantages I can think of for this game definitely outweigh the disadvantages; I struggled to think of any disadvantages at all actually and I wouldn't even really consider what I've put down as a disadvantage to be that bad.Basically I think this game is an excellent tribute to the King Of Pop. I had really high expectations of this game, and it has fully lived up to them, in some ways I would say that it has even exceeded my expectations. I was seriously impressed with this game and I would 100%, wholeheartedly recommend it to any Michael Jackson fan, and to any Just Dance fan, and to anyone who likes dancing. I personally think this game is better than Just Dance.It has excellent gameplay/playability, the graphics are visually stunning, the sound quality is exceptional and the songs on it even more so, it is age 12+ and above this age it is suitable for all age types and it is easy to understand and extremely fun once you get going. It has very good longevity and I don't doubt I will still be falling about laughing as I attempt the moves on this game in years to come. It has got excellent multiplayer functions on it and there are lots of different sets of choreography available to attempt as well as features that teach you how to do the moves properly. Also the game is reasonably priced and available to buy in most places. I love this product and can not give it enough praise.

From the King Of Pop . . . the King of all Wii games. . .Thanks for reading.